The Government of India (GOI) launched the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) [SBM (U)], with the vision of ensuring hygiene, waste management and sanitation across the nation, as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary, to be celebrated in the year 2019. SBM (Urban) is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA). Key thrust areas of the mission include:-
• Elimination of open defecation.
• Eradication of Manual Scavenging by converting insanitary toilets to sanitary.
• Modern and Scientific Municipal Solid Waste Management.
• Effecting behavioural change regarding healthy sanitation practices.
• Awareness generation about sanitation and its linkage with public health.
• Capacity Augmentation for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to create an enabling.
environment for private sector participation The mission also focuses on improving the levels of cleanliness through Solid Waste2 Management activities. The mission targets coverage of all statutory towns. It is important to note that the Open Defecation Free (ODF) city/ward is the ultimate outcome envisaged under SBM (U). A city / ward can be notified/ declared as ODF city/ ODF ward if, at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating in the open. ODF is the termination of faecal-oral transmission, defined by
a. No visible faeces found in the environment/surroundings
b. Every household as well as public/community institutions are using Safe option for disposal of faeces.

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